"D-U-C-K-I-E"

The eventual morning on Tuesday, September 2 was a thrilling time as we, the students in Mr. Pugh’s assembled outside on a hill. It was fun talking with most of the other classmates who I had been in previous grades with. That week one of our exercises in Math class was how we would determine patterns. There was one sheet that I was unable to complete. In class, we were marking that assignment and others. Luckily Ian was marking mine filled in the answers that I hadn’t completed.

Prior to our class photo was taken, we were waiting in line, out of nowhere Ian had brought up the “Mr. Sparkle” episode of THE SIMPSONS. As I wanted to be next to Ian in our class photo I hunched my shoulders so I wouldn’t be in the front row with the tall students. It worked!

That's lil' ol' me wearing a dark blue shirt in the middle row next to my bud, Ian.

At the start of each class day, we would write in our journals. The previous day I went with my father to the library and I borrowed the book on comic books artists. I would read the entry on Carl Barks and I plagiarized it unaware I was doing that. Mr. Pugh’s comments on one of my entries, “You, sure know a lot about Carl Barks!” When we would assemble words for our spelling test, I would peruse through an Uncle Scrooge story to find words. 

One of my wishes that summer was to obtain a comic-book from the Dell or Gold-Key era. Despite the print quality being of a lower quality, I wanted to get a whiff of that oxidized paper. I wanted to know what it felt living in the era of the sweet sixties. When my mother came back from her visit, she gave me a Top Cat comic book. It was a bizarre product as the cover was from the Charlton first issue of Top Cat, yet the contents were from Gold Key issues #30 and #31 of the title.

Initially, I was unreceptive to the comic book based on the cover, however, once I read the first story, “Physical Fit-Mess” I was hooked. I was entertained by how Top Cat and his band of alley cats outsmarted Officer Dibble. Outside of hearing the theme of the show and seeing the snippet from a preview, I was unfamiliar with Top Cat. As odd as this sounds, I was wondering how the characters would sound in my head.

The first panel with T.C. and his alley cat members Brain, and Benny The Ball set up the setting of the series.

In the second tier I liked Top Cat's line.

I applauded their creative method of walking to Elmwood, namely as one member carries the rest while he walks. 

I was in awe of how spectacular the artwork look. The characters looked on model. Eleven years later I discovered the man responsible was Phil DeLara, who drew many of the H-B properties in addition to Daffy Duck, Gyro Gearloose. I can imagine this must have been what it must have felt like for many of Carl Barks fans to recognize his work, but not know who he was.

Another favorite story of mine "City Cats On Campout". Unbeknownst to me at the time what I found interesting about the story was how it drifted in the setting.

The variation of a different locale provided many new gag opportunities of T.C. and his gang causing mayhem for of all people - Officer Dibble.

I chuckled at how Top Cat's response to creating a fire with sticks and Benny The Ball's amusing witticism of extinguishing a fire. Years after I read this story I laughed as much then as I did now.

A good fraction of my lexicon comes from comic books. I learned the word - exorbitant from the story "Last Of The Pirates".  

It was later the following week, that after school, Ian asked me if I would like to come to his house. My mom had already arrived to pick me up, I asked her if she was all right with me going to Ian’s house. She told me that she was fine with the idea and that my dad on his way back from work would pick me up. I was envious of my classmates who resided in Varsity would hobnob as they walked on the way back from school. I imagined how fun it would be, to be a part of a clique. That day Ian and I stopped by the park to play with the other students.

One faithful weekend, Ian came over to finish our homework. When we were almost done, we decided to draw pictures of Donald. I checked out “Donald Duck: 50 Years of Happy Frustration” from the library again, we looked at the page that showed a collage of comic book covers. We drew pictures of Daisy Duck and Uncle Scrooge based on the cover of “Donald Duck” #95. On the way to “Pizza Hut”, he asked my dad, if he read Scrooge comics during his childhood. While we were there, I was opening a packet of sauce only for it to ooze onto one of the patron’s hair. I was quite embarrassed at that incident but he was laughing non-stop.

This was the very page that we looked at. Ian's drawing of Uncle Scrooge was based on Tony Strobl's rendition as seen here.

When I went to school on Monday, Ian presented me with an item wrapped with blue tissue paper. He told me not to unwrap it until I am at home because he wanted to keep it a surprise. Throughout the day I was very curious about what the item was. Once I came back from school, I eagerly removed the tissue paper to open Ian’s sketch of Uncle Scrooge. Underneath the drawing was issue #319 of “Uncle Scrooge”. Oh, boy was I ever excited to read it!

One long weekend, I went with Spencer and Ian to Westside Recreation Centre. (It was home to where Ian and I first spent time together.) We had a blast sliding down the water slides. Once we finished we dined at Boston Pizza. After my father dropped of Spencer at his house, we went to Ian's house to drop him off, however, nobody wasn't there. So we went to Rogers Video in Varsity rented "The Simpsons: Season 2". When we arrived home Ian and I binged watched THE SIMPSONS. What had detracted me from the early episodes were emotional. I felt a pang upon seeing Bart bawling after not receiving his desired grade ("Bart Gets an F"). Underneath their yellow flesh, we see aspects of our self that we can identify. 'Over time I miss the heart of the early episodes of THE SIMPSONS.  My favorite episode that was a complete shift in tone was "Three Men and a Comic Book". As a geek who was in love with comic-books, I related to the feeling of one day owning a vintage comic-book.

It was two weeks before Halloween I was deciding who to dress up as. I decided on dressing up as Uncle Scrooge. Using the pose of him from the cover of US#45 I drew it. When it was Halloween we whooped it up at school with a party. I was proud to show my mask. As the offerings in Varsity were substantially better than Hawkwood that was where I trick-or-treated. Spencer invited me to his house for a sleepover that Halloween. Originally the plan was for Ian to join us however, he had a cold and didn't want to pass his cold onto us. At Spencer’s house, Ian, Scott, Vickie, and myself assembled there. As it was snowed the night prior we went from house to in the bone-chilling cold. I remember towards the end how cold I was. We warmed up internally by watching "Treehouse Of Horror XII" an episode of THE SIMPSONS.

I had never seen the cold open for this episode and I was pleasantly surprised seeing Homer and Marge dressed as Fred and Wilma Flintstone respectively. 

Once school closed for the winter break, Ian and me, had one of our traditional sleepovers. We snacked on stuffed crust cheese pizza and chicken wings on the side from Pizza Hut, while we watched, “THE PARTY” (1965). The late Peter Sellers employed an impeccable Indian accent for the main character Hrundi V. Bakshi.  Peter Sellers (Hrundi V. Bakshi), poured a lot of sincerity in this role as the outsider trying to fit with the guests of the gathering. He has no idea of the social norms. Peter Sellers slapstick gags were in the traditional slapstick stylings of Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy. Henry Mancini’s score added to the swinging sixties with the sitar strumming in the background. The ending of the film left me with a warm feeling all over. When we came back from winter break, we regularly quoted Hrundi’s lines: “Oh! Bang! Howdy, Partner!” and “Birdie Num Num”. It was always fun to exchange lines back and forth from the film. 

Hrundi V. Bakshi (Peter Sellers) in the center; Claudine Longet (Michelle Monet), right in THE PARTY.

One of the downfalls during this break was that I had a bad case of the cold. I went with my mother to the newly opened Crowfoot branch of the Calgary Public Library. I was disappointed how that I didn’t find any “Donald Duck-centric” books. When we came back my head felt heavy, although I felt a bit better when I viewed the Rankin-Bass special, “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”. I was fascinated by the stop motion animation. The voices were terrific, especially that of Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger.

The following day I went with my mother to Comic Kazi to pick up the recent issue of Uncle Scrooge along with “Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories” #635. A fine issue that provided lots of comforts, along with the hot soup and orange juice. Don Rosa’s opening story, “The Coin”, was interesting, it revolved around the titular coin from Scrooge’s money bin to all the hands of Duckburg. Throughout the tale, Donald endured a lot of pain. Here are some instances: Donald while flipping the dime that Uncle Scrooge gave him for a newspaper he bonked himself on the head. As he attempted to retrieve the dime, a tire ran over his foot. After the mixer inadvertently acted up causing it to overflow Daisy hit Donald in the back of the head.  Lastly, the dime fell from a building ledge onto Donald’s head causing him to fall down. I noticed how Donald in Don Rosa’s stories he tended to suffer the abuse from others.  I found his renderings when a character, mostly Donald, is victim to violence it looks a bit too realistic. I appreciated despite the pain he withstood, he was rewarded by Scrooge reinstating his position. It was cute seeing him and Daisy hold hands as they left the money bin. Overall a fun story where all major players in Duckburg having a bit part. The ending of the story Don Rosa showcased a flashback sequence from Carl Barks’ “Back To The Klondike” (1952). As I was unfamiliar with that tale seeing that panel (see below) was my earliest glimpse. 

An example of Don Rosa's excellent expressions. I experienced the rage as Goldie hurled the coins at Scrooge and the impact he felt of the cold coins.  

(When I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Don Rosa, I asked him if he preferred writing the long adventure stories or the short gag stories. His proclivity was for the adventure stories. I told him how I enjoyed “The Coin” due to how it focused on the denizens of Duckburg. He told me how that story was hard to develop the idea.)

"3-D House Of Ducks"

On the last day of grade five, I was devastated upon learning that I would not be in the same class as my friends. When I was outside I saw Mr. McDonald, Ian's father waiting for him. I smiled politely not to reveal my disappointment over what had happened. My motive this semester in being studious was that I could be with my friends. I was completely crushed, but my mother was able to fix it that I would be with them. Once it was confirmed that I was in Mr. Pugh’s class, I immediately dialed Ian to let him know of the good news.

One day I had to run some errands with my father at “Northland Mall”. I went inside “Comic-Kazi” to see if by chance they had back issues from the Gladstone II era. The clerk told me there were no back issues, but he would take a look at the stock room to see if there were any. When he came back, he held a copy of “Maharajah Donald”, which was this year’s “Free Comic Book Day” offering. He told me there was a spare issue leftover. I asked him how much the price was? He told me it was - free. Then I had to clarify what he meant by - free - as I was dumbfounded that he gave it to me.

This was the first I discovered of the then-new publisher, Gemstone Publishing, having acquired the Disney comics license. Be still, my beating heart I had a ransom list of Carl Barks’ stories for reprinting. (Look at us now with Fantagraphics reprinting Carl Barks and IDW printing current Disney comics!) We went to the Nose Hill branch of the Calgary Public Library. When I was looking for an animation-related book, I was stopped in my tracks by one on the shelf – “Donald Duck: 50 Years of Frustration”. What ducky surprises I had that day! I imagined this was might have felt like to be on a streak of good luck, like Gladstone Gander. During that month, I was mesmerized by the facts that were printed here. I appreciated how well the book covered his life in animation and comic-books. The smattering of photographs of animation-director Jack Hannah, voice artist "Ducky" Nash, and Carl Barks was icing on the cake. This was LONG before the days of YouTube, where one could type in the cartoon you had never seen. I was in heaven as I saw stills from many Donald shorts. I spent many days drawing many pictures from here.

The following week, Ian called me over to his house. Ian skateboarded around the block while I rollerbladed. Then we played Nickey-Nickey-Nine Doors. Ian, the instigator of the game was having the time of his life watching me as I went door to door. I was fretting about getting caught by the time the homeowner arrived at the door. There was one house with a staircase; I was worried of falling flat on my face while walking hurriedly down the steps as I wore my rollerblades.

Early one day the DUCKTALES episode “Attack of The Metal Mites”. It was great seeing how Fenton without his Gizmoduck suit removed the metal mites by using his intelligence. I had wanted to see what I believed to be was the final episode of the show.

Later that day while I was channel surfing, I stopped at one channel showing a clip of Donald lighting his pile of leaves ("The New Neighbor", 1952). That clip was one of plenty excerpted in the special "DOWN AND OUT WITH DONALD". Thankfully I had a spare video to record it. The “duck-umentary” was similar in the vein of 60-Mintues tracing the life of Donald after a career-ending incident.

I was giddy when it was airing on the Family Channel that I called my dad at the office to tell him of the news. Among the artists whose music aided to the soundtrack of this special were: “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt was over a montage of clips showing his breakup with Daisy, Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5” played over clips of him trying new careers, Steppenwolf’s blaring hit “Born To Be Wild” went over old clips of him vacationing, and lastly Weird Al’s farcical song “I Want a New Duck” coincided with his temper under control.

The selection of clips to the songs lyrics was appropriate. The lyrics from "Nine To Five" - "..Yawnin', stretchin', try to come to life" complement the bleary-eyed Donald. His comatose expression is what comes to mind when I wake up early. 

I identified most of the cartoons that were excerpted in the special. The “duck-umentary” cleverly intertwined clips from old Donald shorts sometimes with new voice over. For example, when he was returning from his vacation, he heard one radio announcer (Paul Frees) about him heading into parts unknown; he switched to another station I heard the nasal tones of Harry Shearer using a voice that he used for the irritating radio hosts on THE SIMPSONS.

Another set of lyrics, "They just use your mind and you never get the credit" perfectly accompanied the scene from "How To Have An Accident At Work" (1959).
 Donald's mind blanking out, with his shrunken pupils, encapsulates when I would lose focus in elementary school.

I recognized Stan Freberg was the narrator, as he employed the same voice on Disney’s “The Wuzzles”. He was perfect as narrator, as he had quips throughout the special about Donald’s behavior. “Donald had survived the greatest challenge of his career, never again will he lose his temper, and if you believe that you will believe a duck can talk. Not that clearly mind you but that’s the way it is.”

Spencer invited me to join him, his sister Megan, and his cousin Matt to “Calaway Park”. It was a very enjoyable time waiting in line for the rides. I recall pointing out a roof covered in pieces of gum. On the way back my mom took me to the Dalhousie branch of the now defunct Roger’s Video. I picked up “Cartoon Classics: Chip N’ Dale” so I could finally view the cartoon “Trailer Horn”. The music, in the beginning, was serene when Chip and Dale were sleeping. Donald repeatedly blasted the chipmunks with his horn was amusing.

I joined my mother and our neighbor for a walk to the library.  I preferred to ride on my scooter to there. Initially, it was relaxing, but as I descended the steepness of the slope made it extremely nerve wrecking. Had I passed through the difficult part of my excursion? Not by a long shot my friends. What lay ahead was gravel that aided in scraping my knee on the asphalt. I limped all the way back home. Later I went with my mom to “Roger’s Video” and rented “Cartoon Classics: Donald & Daisy”. I was exhausted from that event I went to bed early.

The first thing I did when I woke up was to view the video. In “Donald’s Double Trouble” the animation of Donald in the telephone booth exploding on the other end, as Daisy slammed the telephone was animated very well. It symbolized how explosive their relationship was at that time. Donald’s doppelganger eyes bulged upon seeing Daisy’s picture, reminded me of the wild “takes” that characters in Tex Avery’s cartoons exhibited. Donald’s repulsed reaction increasingly grew each time Daisy advanced on his double was coupled by a ringing sound effect, which effectively conveyed his infuriation. The ending of him hugging his double on the “Tunnel Of Love” was hilarious, but a bit racy. My sister joined me towards the end of the cartoon she remembered seeing it in her childhood. The short was followed by an interstial of Daisy showing Jiminy Cricket Donald’s diary, which led to the eponymous short. I found it odd hearing Russi Taylor voicing Daisy then it switched to June Foray voicing her.  

An example of one of the bridging sequences repurposed with new voice over. 

It was one of the more “adult” Disney cartoon I recall viewing. It was odd hearing Donald’s narrative voice being sophisticated and articulate.  Daisy in contrast to her earlier appearances was redesigned with her hair in a stylish bun, her color was peach, and she seemed bustier.

From "Donald's Diary" (1954) a smoking (!) Daisy with her lingerie scattered over the partition door was one of many scenes that seemed odd to a twelve-year-old me. 

Later she introduces him to her brothers, who suspiciously looked like Hewy, Dewy, and Louie. I could not discern if they were to be new characters or Donald’s nephews. The color palate for the 1950s backgrounds looked stunning. Donald’s closing thoughts are among his most eloquent: “I was born when I kissed her and died when we parted… but I lived for a little while.”

The beige skies, the hues of read, and charcoal grey contrast each other.  The architecture behind her captures the era of fifties San Fransisco. 

Many of the modern-esque backgrounds of Ralph Huttlett. The subdued color choice in this scene add to the romantic mood. 

I did not understand the satire of a married life; as a result, many jokes passed over my head for example: When Donald and Daisy carved their initials in a tree. The camera pulls back to reveal that her previous boyfriends have etched their names on the opposite side of the tree. Daisy noticed that her engagement ring changed color. Who can’t forget the scene when he sees her bride with curlers drinking coffee? As the flavor of wine enhances with age, this cartoon appealed to me once I turned thirteen.

The series get well cards I dew for my grandmother.

I drew a series of get well cards for my grandmother, who underwent a hip replacement. I gave the drawings to my mother when she was going to visit her. When my mom was not at home it was a lot of fun. I would wake up late in the afternoon, have breakfast, go through my math questions, surf on the Internet on websites about Carl Barks, and read comics.

The first drawing while my mother was away. Based on a Donald Duck pillow I had.

One morning I was chipper I woke up early, then I tried to solve some math questions, and did some drawings of Donald.  While I was waiting for my dad to wake up I watched “Sing Yourself Silly!” one of my SESAME STREET videocassettes. Ernie singing “The Honker Duckie Dinger Jamboree” and  “Put Down The Duckie” was just as ducky when I was three. The later song was impressive for the celebrities included in the montage; among them were Paul Simon, John Candy as Yosh Shmenge, and Andrea Martin as Edith Prickley. Later in the day we were sketching, he showed me his renditions of Batman complete with a square jaw and a perfect Gyro Gearlose in pastel. His method of drawing was drawing an outline then breaking the face into four quadrants.

As a three year old, I wondered who this bizarre man twirling the clarinet was. Who could imagine that I would encounter a person relate to him. Listen to Yosh Shmenge!

The following week to keep me occupied on Saturday when my sister and dad would be out. I went with my dad to “Blockbuster” and checked out a Three Stooges tape entitled “Dizzy Doctors. I was tempted to watch it immediately, but my dad suggested that I wait until tomorrow. Instead, we viewed another installment in Blake Edward’s canon of Pink Panther films “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” (1976). 

The relations between Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and former Commissioner Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) are tense. Peter Seller's exaggeration of Clouseau's French accent was mirthful. 

I was eager to view “Goofs and Saddles” one of the shorts on that videocassette, as I had seen a snippet from the short of Curly in the bandwagon when it was included in the compilation “Stop, Look, and Laugh” (1960). Those boys looked “mighty purty” with their long hair and mustaches. The boys attempt to cheat during the poker game was fun. The highlight was when Moe and Curly who each had two aces and attempted to pass cards to each other, only they each hand each other their own aces! The climax was exciting as they escaped from Longhorn Pete’s saloon; I vividly recall Moe and Larry jumping from the window onto the covered wagon.

The dollar signs on Curly's apparel reminded me of you know. 

One of the highlights was when Ian would return from his cabin in Invemere, B.C. We took turns arranging a sleepover at each other’s house. When we were deciding which film we should view, I already had in it mind based on a conversation in grade three. When we had not known one and other closely, I brought up the topic about who his favorite comedy teams were. I asked him if he had ever seen The Three Stooges? He replied that they were one of his favorites. As I recalled the events of a Stooge short, “Tassels In The Air”, he interjected the scenes he found to be humorous. Especially Curly’s wild expression whenever he saw tassels, and how Moe and Larry would calm him with a brush. He later told me that he was related to John Candy. I raved about how it was awesome to have had him as a relative. Had I known of John Candy’s sycophantic character William B. Williams that he played on “SCTV”, I would have clapped my hands and have laughed cheaply. Come time to when we were planning our sleepover, the question about what film to watch came up. I suggested Mel Brooks’ film “SpaceBalls” (1987) because I knew he would enjoy it as much as I did. Once I mentioned that it stared Mr. Candy he was inclined.

A slight addendum, a couple of years when I religiously watched The Three Stooges on the weekends, (or as I called it "Stooge Saturday and Sunday") "SCTV" would precede it. I always liked the fast opening that would show a clip of the cast member, then shrink to reveal four squares with the characters he/she played. When I heard that theme, with televisions being tossed about, it was a signal that I was half-an-hour away from the slap-stick antics of The Three Stooges. 

From watching the opening I was aware that John Candy was a regular on the show, although I never paid attention to the characters he played. During my conversation with Ian, this screenshot was in my mind as I relayed the credits of his relative to him. 

On the way to his house, my sister and I were listening to Petula Clark’s hit, “Downtown” in the car. I could not help but recall Groundskeeper Willie’s off-key rendition in “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”. As we passed “Marion Carson Elementary” I pretended as if I was revisiting it after a long period, as Uncle Scrooge did in the DUCKTALES episode, “Back To The Klondike” I always enjoyed being in the company of Ian’s family. His mother, sister, and father exuded warmth once you entered. It was a glorious time once I dropped my duffel bag into his room. I was skittish about taking the upper bunk bed as I had a fear of it collapsing, as I had seen the repercussions once Curly lied down. Ian was beaming with enthusiasm about the television that was in the basement was now in his room. He showed me the VHS releases of “Bart The General” and “Bart The Daredevil”. We were two pals without a care in the world.

The home where my late friend, Ian McDonald resided. Many's the time we would walk back from school to here. It was always filled with many merry moments. In my minds eye, I can see the arrangement of all of the rooms.

First we went to his backyard, bounced on his trampoline yelling “Tramp-amp-oline” as Homer referred to it. Then we took turns swinging from a tree and landing on the trampoline.  Once we were exhausted, we headed to Ian’s room where we watched “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”, the very episode I had in mind earlier today. I can never forget watching it on his television with dials to the side. When I listen to “Baby On Board” it opens a flood of memories.

Bounce after bounce propelled to enormous heights of ecstasy. The panel from "The Unsafe Safe" (1960) by Carl Barks is what I pictured when I rebounded from the trampoline. I imagined that this must have been what Uncle Scrooge experienced.

After a scrumptious super of our favorite meal, Macaroni and Cheese, we then went to Roger’s Video to look at what another film to rent.  Back when VHS had not been yet phased out it was neat to see the array of titles down the aisles. When we came back we started our movie night. On the videocassette where I taped “SpaceBalls” the DUCKTALES episode “Robot Robbers” preceded it. Towards the end of the episode, Ian told me that Flintheart Glomgold reminded me of him. I was surprised as he was the most despicable of Carl Barks’ creations.

This was the exact point where Ian told me that Flintheart Glomgold reminded him of me. I was touched by his enthusiasm for my interest. Isn't it funny, how I think of him when I watch this scene in particular.

We snacked on popcorn and drank Coca-Cola while viewing “Spaceballs”. The both of us delighted in Mel Brooks’ spark of humor, from the many meta-references in his film (Dark Helmet obtaining a bootleg copy of the film to find out what to do next), Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) using “the Schwartz” to crush their testicles, the many expletives uttered by many of the characters. Early in the film, Lonestar and Barf owe a debt to the major gangster, Pizza the Hutt. We liked how the villain's name was an allusion to our favorite dining place. Pizza the Hutt's costume was believable with the gooey cheese and the steaming toppings. The rapport between Barf (John Candy) and Lonestar (Bill Pullman) echoed that of our friendship. The final scene of Dark Helmet, Colonel Sandurz, and President Skroob leaving the escape pod elicited chuckles until our stomachs ached. In typical Mel Brooks fashion, it was complete anarchy with everyone running for the Escape Pods in the film's climax — the orchestra, a variety of circus freaks, and even a bear.

John Candy's sincerity radiated with such lines as " I'm a mog: half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend! "

The next day Ian’s aunt took us to the science center. On the way there we had an interesting conversation about which comedians were Canadian. She asked us if we were familiar with Jane Goodal, as we were going to watch a documentary on her. Ian said that Jane Goodal was known for her exploiting monkeys in order to unearth diamonds. She asked him where he had learned that from, he said it was from an episode (“Simpsons Safari”) of THE SIMPSONS where the family won a trip to Africa. We were all laughing as he described what happened. It was tremendous fun playing around the various exhibitions over there such as building Lego cars and racing them, a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption that allowed you to control where a ball would land. I admired how hospitable Ian’s family treated me when I stayed over at their house. It was a fun couple of days spending with him.

What happened on the faithful day of Monday, September 1? I was treated to a meal of teriyaki chicken that was on the BBQ prepared by my father, served by a side of rainbow tortellini smothered with a rich alfredo sauce that my sister made.

That night, from the Abbeville book of Uncle Scrooge stories, we read out loud together – “McDuck Of Arabia” (1965). It was one of the Uncle Scrooge stories in his collection. There was agitation when the Hassan Ben Jaild threatened Huey with his weapons. I always liked how ingenious Huey was arranging the rocks in the shape of an arrow when he was kidnapped.

I liked the movement in the first panel of Hassan twirling his revolver. In the second panel of him drawing out a sword with the "toing" sound effect adds to the ominous nature. 

In the second tier, Huey's anxiousness and the shading behind him convey his plight.

We thought the Junior Woodchucks was an appropriate organization for Donald’s nephews, as their resourcefulness was utilized. In this story, it was demonstrated by Dewey and Louie in collaboration with the Arab division of the JWs, named, the Desert Patrol Six Four Six rescue the kidnapped ducks. We liked the witty name of the villain – Sheikh Hassan Ben Jaild. Carl Barks design of the sneering pig villain with – snout and beard worked well with Hasan Ben Jaild’s unscrupulousness.

Two years later I had the pleasure of briefly experiencing a sandstorm in Kuwait, I could relate to the one  Don and Scrooge were in.  

Carl Barks’ drawing was stellar as ever. His expressions for the dehydrated Ducks as they cross the desert made me feel what I was like as Uncle Scrooge and Donald crossed the “three-hundred miles of emptiness”. The portrayal of a full-scale assault of Uncle Scrooge and the Bir Shebans made me feel is if I were there. Not a bad way to end Labour Day on.

Uncle Scrooge's caption made me imagine the glittering surface of the land of Bir Sheba.

Seeing Sheikh Arrabi mentioning the deity, I worship Allah was cool. It made me appreciate the lengths Carl Barks  devoted into researching his stories.

The following morning as my dad was leaving for work, I mentioned second bottom tier, where Uncle Scrooge would not sacrifice five cents when they could drink for free at the hotel.  It got a chuckle from the both of us.

As I went to bed that night, I lay awake for most of the night thinking what wonders of the school year were in store. I also thought about how I was anxious the previous year when I looked at the class list and found out I was not in the same class as my friends. As I couldn't sleep that night I would talk to my dad about the supporting characters in Disney comics (i.e. Daisy Duck). It reminded me of SESAME STREET where Ernie would keep Bert awake at night.

"My Favourite Duck"

One afternoon at "Marion Carson Elementary" I had a minor scuffle with a student during a soccer game. When I came back from school I felt a sense of melancholia. Later I went to the “Nose Hill Library” with my father. I was browsing for a book about my favorite comic book artist, Carl Barks. Unable to locate what I wanted, I went to the information counter and asked the woman if there were any books on Carl Barks. She was not knowledgeable about comic books, however she redirected my query to Joey one of her associates who was on an expert on that field. 

Immediately we struck up an enlightening conversation about Carl Barks, that I recall to this day. He had told me how Barks’ identity remained a mystery to his readers. However many readers recognized Barks’ work and drawing style, and began to call him the “Good Duck Artist”. One way I could verify that it was his story, was how his wife Gare Barks, when lettering his stories would leave the circle on exclamation marks closed. We talked about how both Don and the nephews differed from the cartoons and the comics. He could not stand how the character was constantly squawking and there was no rationale to his anger. It was very difficult to understand him and the nephews. We had talked about Paul Murry's creation of Super Goof who would eat goobers to attain his powers. How adventurous Mickey Mouse was in Floyd Gottferdson's comic strips. He told me about non related comic book series i.e. Marge’s “Little Lulu and Will Eisner’s “The Spirit”.

My knowledge of the creations Carl Barks was known for lacked. I assumed he had created, Donald’s nephews, Daisy Duck, Grandma Duck, and Ludwig Von Drake. He told me that comic strip artist Al Taliaferro was responsible for their creations, but he was not sure about Ludwig. One of his goofs was in certain comic book panels, was to draw a fourth nephew. We came up with names for him like Phooey and Ratatouille was a suggestion that we both chuckled at. He asked if I read the infamous “Square Eggs Story”. It was a comic that I was not familiar with. Before the library was closing, Joey asked if I could wait for him while he went to the workroom. I waited at the counter feeling happy at how I had a friend who shared a mutual interest. He returned with a light blue hardcover book, which was … volume 3, set 1 of “The Carl Barks Library”. He asked if I would like to borrow it for sometime. I was surprised that he had trusted ME a person that he recently met.

Right then and there I pictured this scene from "Moaning Lisa" of Lisa hearing the soothing tones of a saxophone.
I gravitated to how it must feel of meeting a friend who shares  a mutual interest.  

The diverse elements that collate in creating a cool comic-book cover. 

I was bursting over with euphoria, similarly as how Uncle Scrooge would feel when swimming through his money as I held that book. The front of the book reprinted Carl Bark’s splendid cover for “Lost In The Andes” (FC#223) I liked how Donald’s pose with him holding one of the square eggs. Hewy, Dewy, and Louie look excited about their discovery. The vibrant coloring from Donald’s sky blue shirt to the nephews yellow and red added to the aesthetics. Barks simple yet effective covers pique the reader’s interest in the story.

On the way home, when I skimmed through the book I found it odd that the comics were printed in black and white. Before each story, the cover that originally accompanied it, was reproduced on a glossy paper, usually one of Carl Barks’ paintings was on the reverse side. I vividly recall how it was a treat seeing the covers for the first time.

I previously read “Christmas on Bear Mountain” (FC#178) in Abeville Press’ compilation of Uncle Scrooge stories. I compared the two versions side by side; I discovered that several panels were removed in Abeville Press’ Scrooge book. For the first time I saw how the story was originally presented. When I went to bed I would have read most of it if it were not for school the next day.

Having not finished the book I took it with me to school that day. We were forced to stay inside during recess due to it raining heavily. Many of my peers complained about staying indoors for recess, but it did not bother me one bit. I soaked in the artistry of “the Good Artist” while others were playing. “The Old Castle’s Secret” was a tale that suited the somber weather that day. The ethereal elements from the abandoned castle with dark halls, the old McDuck cemetery, the misty moors, and the threating “ghost” matched the ambience of the rainy weather that day. It was printed in black and white; The shading of the castle’s bricks added to the moodiness.

The order in which the stories were printed was commendable. Everywhere Don, the nephews, and Uncle Scrooge trekked to they were calling me for a new adventure. Who could resist it? Except for being paid 30 cents an hour.I was intrigued with the concept of square eggs. What would they feel like?  When I arrived home from school I read “Lost In The Andes”.

The Plainawfulians spoke English with a heavy Southern Accent was written very well. The design of the little square chicks was cute. The nephew’s description of the square chicks soft as sole leather made me feel as if I held them. After all he endured it was revealed that the roosters used for breeding were both male. Defeat was written all over him with his slumped shoulder, and a tear from his cheek. The riled expression on his face was priceless when the chef asked mentioned “Ham and Eggs? Cheese Omelete? Roast Chicken?” It was clever of Carl Barks of having a police car proceeding to the diner. Instead of illustrating the aftermath he wreaked upon the diner, he left it up to the reader’s imagination of what may have occurred. There were supplementary materials like a storyboard from an unproduced cartoon about square eggs.

As I read this on a rainy day I imagined what it would be like stumbling your way amidst the fog.  The thin lines as the fog and the Ducks in silhouette adds to the mysteriousness.  

The perspective as the Ducks gaze on the hamlet (egglett) of Plainawful is impressive.

A series of humorous one-page Donald gags followed the story. One where he undergoes an extreme physical regimen that allows him to fit into his tuxedo. To indicate the rapid pace he worked out, he drew a series of swirls amongst the bodybuilding arsenal, as he exclaims “Three more days of this I can squeeze my middle through a doughnut!” When Daisy asked him how the tuxedo fits. “It fits like a dream, toots – my waist that is.” In the last panel, we see him wear a tuxedo that is now too broad for his shoulders.  

After reading I was inspired to recreate the drawing of Donald as seen below. In order to verify the accuracy of the length of his bill from his face, I looked back and forth between the cover and what I was drawing. I was satisfied by how similar it appeared. I went over the blue pencil drawing with pastels. I remember the pride that sent me racing upstairs to show my mother the final work. 

My first attempt of drawing Donald Duck. I made sure to capture the small details as the wrinkles in his bowtie. 

“The Golden Christmas Tree” was a “tree-mendous” story of Hewy, Dewy, and Louie wanting a golden Christmas tree. Testosterone trickled through me when I viewed Donald cross the chasm using a snowball. I was invested in the safety of the kids when the witch had them. Carl Barks development of Donald into a complex personality was impressive. He has always appealed to me for how his emotions would momentarily change. For example, initially he was doubtful and scared from being under the clutches of the witch. Upon retreating from her cabin, he realizes how he has not thwarted the witch, and his nephews are still in danger. He was resolutely determined in rescuing the kids. It was an interesting dynamic between the characters as in the cartoons they quarrelled. The sequence where he had a battle with the witch was clever.

Notice how Donald is not distracted by the advances of the Witch as a snitching siren.  As archaic as his response is in the upper right corner it was a good line. 

It was a fine time where my love for the Disney Ducks was flowering. There was no looking back once I had crossed the infamous… “Duck Zone”. I could not get enough of the Duck be it in the cartoons and comics. I borrowed,  "The Disney Studio Story", a book on Disney short subjects that I religiously looked at. It was a treat to see pictures of cartoons that I never saw before. I was making one of my archeological discoveries in the basement, where by chance I would unearth a recording of a Disney cartoon. Ho! What luck! As I found “The Mad Hermit Of Chimney Butte” an installment of “Walt Disney Presents”. The eponymous Hermit (Donald Duck) has cut of all ties of human existence, due to his inability of finding peace and quiet (as depicted with clips from earlier cartoons). The cartoons included in this special were a treat, as I saw many of them for the first time. Of the shorts showcased here "Beezy Bear" and "Hook, Lion, and Stinker" were memorable.  

"Slide Donald Slide" (1949) another in a series of battles between Donald and Spike the Bee was included. Spike the Bee locking Donald in his shower allowing him the opportunity of listening to classical music.
Him conducting the classic music to Donald's squawking as he tries to unlock the door was funny.

Of the shorts excerpted “Beezy Bear” was a honey of a cartoon. There were many mirth-inducing moments among them, Humphrey’s anguish while he witnessed Donald tasting the honey. The vocals expressions provided by sound-effects man Jimmy McDonald enhanced his suffering. 

"Oh boy.. oh boy.. 100% pure" exclaims Donald as he is delighted by the sweetness of the honey. A year later, when I would have pancakes for breakfast I drizzled honey and whipped cream on them, as it would not seem odd that I would quote this line. 

One of his attempts of crossing the barbed wire fence was using a sign for a fencepost, to gain access without being unscathed. He then threatened the bees through a series of grunting sounds; meanwhile the Ranger removed the fencepost. When the bees were chasing our bruin he attempted to dive underneath the fencepost, only to be distressed that it no longer existed. The figure, the frazzled face, and the skidding sound effects as he prevented breaking through the barrier were well executed by the animator. The aftermath of this scheme proved to be unsuccessful as a tuft of fur was snagged onto the broken barb fence, the Ranger placed it on his head was hysterical. Lastly Humphrey acted as a snake charmer using a hose in order to acquire the sticky substance from far away, however Donald’s observation of it disappearing caused him to suck from the other end of the hose. I was impressed by the synchronization of the music to the rate of the honey travelling through the tube.

“Hook, Lion, and Stinker” followed it, where Louie the Mountain Lion and his cub as they attempted to purloin the fish Donald caught. It was good seeing Donald having the upper hand in thwarting of the mountain lions in each of their schemes. For instance, he saw Louie's paw reach out of the window for the fish only to move it and instead to grab a flaming lump of coal from the stove. The cartoon showcased  Donald to exclaim my favorite catchphrases of his "Oh, yeah!" when he discover the cub stealing his fish, and "So!" when he hears them knocking on the door. The unforgettable running gag of Louie the Lion’s son plucking pellets from his posterior much to his discomfort was amusing. The metallic clinking sound as his son put the pellet in a bowl enhanced it. 

 It was interesting seeing Walt interacting with one of his creations.

Preceding it was an episode of “The Woody Woodpecker Show” consisting of “Robin Hoody Woody”, “Rock-A-Bye Gator”, and many others. From watching the credits I became aware of voice artist Daws Butler, a regular player in the Walter Lantz cartoons. He did a great job supplying a haughty British voice for the Sheriff of Nottingham. A line that delighted me was the Sherriff exclaiming, “I hate blackbirds pie!” as he shooed away the blackbirds that were fleeing from his mouth.

In “Rock-A-Bye Gator” a running gag was when Woody would play “Rock A Bye Baby” to surrender him into sleep. A clever gag was when he used semaphores to conduct the song to render Gabby Gator sleepy.  “I’ve been tricked,” he says before dozing.  I laughed my head off, when Woody accidentally mentioned a word that rhymed with food (“Now he’s in a sleeping mood.) would arouse him (“Did you say food?). Laverne Harding’s model of Woody Woodpecker was appealing. He looked cute with his small stature and his topknot facing upward.  I deduced that Daws also voiced Huckleberry Hound, as the voice he provided for Gabby Gator was in an almost similar register. I would be seen at either home or school mimicking Woody’s laugh and pretending to peck people.

When I saw his name listed  as director in the credits of "The Mad Hermit of Chmney Butte", immediately I saw his name as director of "Rock-A-Bye Gator". I was surprised that he was "that guy" who directed the Donald Duck cartoons. The first individual in animation I identified, you could call him a "Jack Hannah" of all trades.

A zany gag after Donald reaches the top of the branch where the Aracuan is he hits him with a mallet, then
inserts a cigar that once is lighted skyrockets him down.

On another day I found “CLOWN OF THE JUNGLE” (1947) a fascinating Donald entry, as it was unlike any Disney cartoon I had seen. My curiosity had been kindled after having seen a snapshot of this cartoon from a book on Disney short subjects. My father told me that this cartoon was hardly ever aired on T.V. The zany Aracuan Bird irritated Donald as he interfered in his photographic attempts made for an interesting pairing.The gags had an air of Tex Avery diffused through them, for instance when he repeatedly extended the legs of a camera tripod to see the Aracuan Bird on a tree branch. One scene of his prey painting a door onto a rock with Donald ramming towards it echoed a gag used frequently in a Warner Bros. cartoon. 

How I loved the song of the Aracuan Bird provided by Pinto Clovig. The animation of him going through a series of hysterics before being obliterated was done well.

The music added to the frantic efforts of Donald taking a picture of his prey. Donald with his incisors out annihilating the Aracuan Bird with his machine gun was an intricate display of his primitive instinct. Donald appeared to have been elated by his demise was short-lived, as he discovers him unscathed by the blasts. The shock was too intense for him that he acted like the Aracuan. It seemed frightening at first seeing him fumbling his lips, popping in and out, and running in circles but was amusing in later viewings.  The ending of the straight character replicating the zany behaviour of his foe had Tex Avery written all over.  

Around this period I was among several students as announcer reading the events occurring in our school. It was a great time when I was one of the students in charge of deciding what music to play before starting the announcements. Most of them complained about playing Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” repeatedly to Mr. Stewart, the vice principal. He suggested that they follow my lead of selecting their favorite artist then asking for his approval of it being played. It was awesome playing a snippet of Jean Michel Jarre an artist in the electronic genre, and The Carpenters. I would read a brief blurb about the artist after playing their song. My friends Ian and Spencer were thrilled to hear my voice on the speaker.

A Father's Day card made by yours truly. If I had more time to scour for images I would have selected better comic book covers.